It was a rare sunny day in Cardiff. So beautiful was the day and so cool the breeze, that Torchwood's medic, Miranda Ryan, had decided to get some exercise outdoors for a change and had invited Ianto Jones to join her The two friends were having a late morning run in Bute Park. Ianto had cheerfully agreed, happy to get out of the underground recesses of the Hub and get some exercise that didn't involve chasing after aliens. He was now seriously regretting that decision.

From the moment they'd set off across the grass, Miranda had set a blistering pace. He'd managed at first but now, nearly two kilometres into their run, he was trailing behind her.

"Mandy! Slow down!" Ianto shouted at her back. "This is the last time I go for a run with you! I thought this was going to be a nice afternoon jog, not the bloody Olympics!"

"Sorry, sorry!" she said and she slowed down as they looped back to where Ianto had parked. She smiled and teased, "Bit out of shape, Ifan?"

"I run pell mell after aliens, Mandy, not for my own enjoyment," he snapped. "I'm not immortal you know! I'll be feeling this tomorrow."

She laughed as she ran beside him, the pace leisurely for her. "Something that someone sharing a bed with Jack Harkness should be used to saying."

He blushed and gave her a playful shove. They had nearly made it back to the car when his mobile began to ring.

He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Jack… "Hang on, it's Jack."

The pair slowed to a walk as Ianto accepted the call. "Hello? Jack? Do you need us back?… Yes, we're still in Bute Park… Down by the Castle… Right… Got it… Yeah, in my boot… We will… Bye."

"Spike in the area?" she asked as she reached into her pocket for her PDA.

"Yep, by the garden," he said across the grass. "Reckon I should get the kit from the car?"

"Nah… race you!" she said with a laugh and then took off across the grass.

"Cachu!" he swore under his breath and ran after her. She had a head start but he managed to nearly catch her as they reached the garden hedge.

"You cheated!" he said, panting.

"Again, something someone sharing a bed with Jack Harkness should be used to," she said with a laugh, scanning the area with her PDA. "There, in the tall grass."

He moved to investigate but Miranda's hand on his arm stopped him.

"You know the rules, Ifan. Jack and I take the risks," she said, crouching down.

As she parted the grass, she saw what looked like a plastic squeeze bottle. To any passerby it would have looked like nothing more than litter but Miranda knew it was actually a beverage bottle once she saw the brightly coloured alien writing around the label. She beamed as she picked it up. Her and Jack saw these bottles fairly often, once or twice a decade. The last one fell through the rift in 2003.This one is mine, Harkness…

"What's that?" Ianto said, leaning over.

She twisted the top off the nozzle and peered down. Oh! It's a pink one! There was no need to worry about an expiration date, the beverages didn't spoil. Shesqueezed the contents into her mouth, her eyes rolling in the back of her head at the sweet taste.

Ianto didn't seem as pleased and tried to grab the bottle out of her hands. "Christ, Mandy! What the fuck are you doing? That could be dangerous!"

"Relax, Ifan. It's just a soft drink from the twenty-ninth century. They come through quite often, relatively speaking," she said, drinking down more of the alien beverage.

"So you and Jack regularly just drink things that fall through the rift?" Ianto asked, dryly.

"Well, it's not like it's going to kill us," she said, raising her eyebrow. "Jack got to drink the last one that came through so this one is mine. Here, have the rest."

The Welshman eyed it wearily but took the bottle from her. Aside from the vertical ridges and alien writing, it could have been any sort of squeeze bottle. He looked down the nozzle, raising both his eyebrows at the neon pink liquid within. "It's pink…"

"Yes, because everything we eat and drink is such a lovely natural colour in this day and age."

"Is it sparkling or still?" he asked, giving the bottle a little shake, still looking down the nozzle to see if the drink bubbled.

"Goddess below, you modern humans are such a picky lot! Fine! If you don't want the rest-" she said, moving to take her prize back.

"I didn't say that." Well… here goes nothing… He put the nozzle in his mouth and squeezed. The drink was unlike any he'd ever had. The liquid fizzed on his tongue and sweetness burst in his mouth. It was sweeter than any soft drink he had ever had before. He had no idea how, but he knew that it tasted fruity, but it was no fruit flavor he could identify. After he'd swallowed, a lightly sour aftertaste blossomed in his mouth. In an odd twist, the beverage's fizz smelled of cinnamon. He drank down the last of the drink with regret. "Wow!"

"Told you!" she laughed. "Jack is going to be quite cross I didn't save him any."

"Should we have saved some for the others?" he asked, looking at the empty bottle.

"Nope," they both said simultaneously as they shook their heads and laughed.

After ensuring the beverage was the only thing to have dropped through, the two friends started back towards Ianto's car. They emerged from the trees separating the garden from the grassy area, deep in conversation, when a woman shouted out across the park, "Someone! Please! Grab him!"

Miranda looked up and saw a tricolour Corgi, having the time of its life as it raced across the park towards the far tree line, its leash trailing behind it. So lost in the joy of running in the open, the dog was paying no attention to its owner, running and calling after it. Just as they finished digesting the scene, the poor woman stumbled and fell. Oblivious, the dog continued on. The two Torchwood agents shared a look of silent communication and then both of them took off running. Ianto headed in the direction of the fallen woman as Miranda sprinted for the dog.

A number of other bystanders attempted to help as well but the Corgi proved to be more agile than expected, dodging and outrunning anyone who tried to capture him, enjoying the game. Miranda managed to bring her foot down sharply on the leash just before the dog reached the opposite tree line. Panting she bent down and looped the leash around her wrist. The dog, having found a new friend and hoping for a different game, jumped and barked around her, tangling the leash around her legs.

"Thank you!" the woman said as she jogged up with Ianto. Her accent was Welsh. "He would never have stopped."

After she'd succeeded in untangling herself from the leash without falling over, Miranda looked up to hand it over to the other woman. The dog's owner was a little taller than her, pale with dark hair in a pixie cut. Her large eyes could rival Gwen's. Miranda returned the woman's shy smile, feeling an odd blush creep up her face.

"Are you all right?" Miranda asked, taking in the woman's scraped knees. "Ifan? Could you get the first aid kit out of the car?"

"No, I'm fine really!" the other woman said but Ianto had already walked off. He was chuckling. "Really, your husband needn't bother…"

Miranda couldn't help but let out a small snort at the idea. "He's not my husband."

"Boyfriend then…?" the other woman asked, not without a slightly hopeful tone to her voice.

"Yes, he has one," Miranda said apologetically. She hated to disappoint the woman but Ianto Jones was very much taken.

"Actually, I was asking about you," she said simply, the smile on her face widening.

"No, I'm not… I don't… I'm…" she stammered. Gods I sound like an idiot! She'd been taken completely off guard by the direct and blunt statement. She swallowed convulsively, looking at this stranger in a new light. It wasn't every day someone stunned her into a stammer.

"Straight. No worries," the other woman said, with an unabashed smile.

"I've never been one for labels," said Miranda, widening her smile. She held out her hand to the other woman. "Miranda Ryan."

"Nora Ashline, this is Alvin," she said, her smile widening even further as she grasped Miranda's hand.

The two women never took their eyes off each other. They just stood there, grinning at each other, hands clasped between them. They both jumped at the sound of Ianto clearing his throat.

"Here you go, Mandy. I'll just be in the car," he said with a smirk on his face. He handed her the first aid kit, then turned and left before she could stop him.

With a nervous smile, she turned back to Nora. "Sit down, let me clean those cuts."

"Really, it's fine. It's just a couple of scrapes…"

"A couple of scrapes that could get infected," she said, gesturing at a nearby tree.

Nora sat down, keeping careful hold on Alvin's leash. Miranda opened up the first aid kit and opened the single use antiseptic wipes.

"This might sting a bit," she said, dabbing the wet gauze onto the scrapes.

The other woman didn't flinch, still staring at Miranda who was shifting nervously under the scrutiny.

"Listen, you probably already think I'm a nutter or something but this is my mobile," Nora said as she took a pen from her purse and scrawled her phone number on the back of a random receipt.

"I don't think you're a nutter… maybe a careless dog owner-" she broke off once she realised how tactless her joke sounded and wondered how to extract her foot from her mouth. Shit why did I say that…

To her relief, Nora laughed and handed the card to her. "Well then, Alvin's lucky you were about."

Miranda felt the blush on her face deepen as she took the paper, slipping it into her pocket. She finished cleaning the scrapes on Nora's knees and hands and packed away the first aid kit. The Corgi put his front paws up on her leg and gave her hand a lick.

"Thank you, really, for Alvin," she said. "He likes you."

Miranda reached over and scratched the dog between his large ears.

"We'd both like to see you again," Nora said boldly as she stood up, brushing the grass from her legs.

"I'd like that too," she said as she blushed again.

"Looking forward to it. I'll see you soon then," Nora said brightly as she started to walk away.

Miranda watched her walk back up towards the footpath that led to North Road with Alvin the Corgi in tow. Before she disappeared down the path, Nora stopped, and turned around. She smiled widely and waved before turning down the path towards the street.

After picking up the first aid kit, Miranda headed to the car park where Ianto was waiting for her. She put the first aid kit back into the Audi's boot and then got into the passenger seat.

"She seemed nice," Ianto said innocently.

"Hmmm," came Miranda's noncommittal noise.

"Quite lovely," he said.

"Hmmm," she repeated.

"She was certainly interested in you," he said still trying to sound innocent.

"You have something you want to ask, Ifan?" Miranda said sharply.

"Just wanted to make sure you didn't cock it up and got her number," he said with a laugh.